Life is all about the experience. Throughout life, you will experience things that will test everything from your brains to your brawn. Yet, it is not what you experience, but how you experience it. For example, almost every single student will experience high school. However, some will just endure their time, waiting to escape. Others will grow and develop. I was one of those people who grew and developed during my high school years. I was able to do so because of the experiences that I have had. Throughout high school, service learning and a handful of teachers shaped me into the person I am today.
One of my high school's requirements is "service learning." Service learning is mandatory participation in at least fifteen hours of volunteer work. For my service learning, I chose to coach my sister's recreational soccer team because I am very passionate about soccer. After the very first practice, I fell in love with coaching soccer. I loved helping the kids get better at soccer. I also loved becoming a role model to them just like my coaches were role models for me when I played soccer. I felt like I was making a difference by helping young children grow and have fun at the same time. The service learning was so fulfilling that I went back the next year although it was not required and I coached again. From my volunteer work, I learned the feeling of self-actualization and how helping people can feel so good. I also learned how to be very patient because sometimes explaining things to young children can be difficult. What I took from this experience was very important to making me who I am today. For example, I have learned the good in volunteering and I am more likely to volunteer nowadays. In fact, someday I want to run the "Cumberland Youth Soccer Association," the soccer organization in my home town. Just from coaching, I gained another aspiration.
The teachers that have had a truly positive impact on me are few and far between. But those who have impacted me stand among the most elite of the Cumberland School Department. My Sophomore and senior year Spanish teacher, Mr. DaCosta, is among the most elite. Mr. DaCosta is a teacher with a love for his students and his teachings which shows in his work. Beyond being just a teacher, he would be there for students beyond the classroom. He was so fatherly in fact, that a student called him "Dad" whenever he entered the classroom. Mr. DaCosta has always been there for me when I needed help with anything from time management to family issues. Also, Mr. DaCosta forced people out of their comfort zone when it came to speaking a language none of us had any proficiency in. I appreciate that because I am now more likely to take on challenges in life. When I am more confident to take on other challenges, I am more likely to grow and develop as a person because the challenges will be testing many of my intrinsic qualities like endurance or patience.
My life has been influenced by my high school experiences and teachers, especially a few in particular. The experiences that I have encountered have effected me in ways that I could have never imagined. High school has been very important to my growth and development. But it is not only the experiences, but what I have taken out of the experiences in high school that has made high school important. High school has taught me a plethora of things that will help me as I continue on my journey through life. For example, I learned patience from coaching soccer and I learned how to challenge myself from my Spanish teacher. Because of all of these things I have learned and because I have grown so much, I feel like high school was one of the most important experiences of my life.
One of my high school's requirements is "service learning." Service learning is mandatory participation in at least fifteen hours of volunteer work. For my service learning, I chose to coach my sister's recreational soccer team because I am very passionate about soccer. After the very first practice, I fell in love with coaching soccer. I loved helping the kids get better at soccer. I also loved becoming a role model to them just like my coaches were role models for me when I played soccer. I felt like I was making a difference by helping young children grow and have fun at the same time. The service learning was so fulfilling that I went back the next year although it was not required and I coached again. From my volunteer work, I learned the feeling of self-actualization and how helping people can feel so good. I also learned how to be very patient because sometimes explaining things to young children can be difficult. What I took from this experience was very important to making me who I am today. For example, I have learned the good in volunteering and I am more likely to volunteer nowadays. In fact, someday I want to run the "Cumberland Youth Soccer Association," the soccer organization in my home town. Just from coaching, I gained another aspiration.
The teachers that have had a truly positive impact on me are few and far between. But those who have impacted me stand among the most elite of the Cumberland School Department. My Sophomore and senior year Spanish teacher, Mr. DaCosta, is among the most elite. Mr. DaCosta is a teacher with a love for his students and his teachings which shows in his work. Beyond being just a teacher, he would be there for students beyond the classroom. He was so fatherly in fact, that a student called him "Dad" whenever he entered the classroom. Mr. DaCosta has always been there for me when I needed help with anything from time management to family issues. Also, Mr. DaCosta forced people out of their comfort zone when it came to speaking a language none of us had any proficiency in. I appreciate that because I am now more likely to take on challenges in life. When I am more confident to take on other challenges, I am more likely to grow and develop as a person because the challenges will be testing many of my intrinsic qualities like endurance or patience.
My life has been influenced by my high school experiences and teachers, especially a few in particular. The experiences that I have encountered have effected me in ways that I could have never imagined. High school has been very important to my growth and development. But it is not only the experiences, but what I have taken out of the experiences in high school that has made high school important. High school has taught me a plethora of things that will help me as I continue on my journey through life. For example, I learned patience from coaching soccer and I learned how to challenge myself from my Spanish teacher. Because of all of these things I have learned and because I have grown so much, I feel like high school was one of the most important experiences of my life.